One of the great things for me to do in Seattle was late night grocery shopping. Squeezed into an urban landscape, at 2am a store can feel strangely deserted and very much like your own. You can roam the isles forever, leaving your cart wherever you dam well please.

And you see the most interesting people!

I think it was the first or second year I moved to Seattle I spotted Kurt Cobain at my QFC (Quality Food Center) on Capital Hill. Although it wasn’t a pretty sight (he did look like a serious heroin addict), that pretty much sealed the deal for me and Saturday nights became my favorite time to shop.

I believe it was a Saturday night grocery excursion when I discovered Sesame Seed Bran Sticks and Organic Pizza Rolls.

When I met Will I discovered he shared my love for nocturnal cuisine cruising. When we moved to Bainbridge Island it was a disappointment for the both of us to find that the T&C (The Town and Country) closed each night at, gasp, 11pm! Actually, this fact would matter little due to the wonderful fact we soon had a child and rarely found ourselves conscious after 10pm. This store got quiet in the late evenings but I always felt like I was being watched. I also got the distinct feeling that the cashiers would really rather I be quick about my shopping business so they could get home.

Now here in Fairfield, I shop at Everybody’s most of the time. It is always a packed who’s who scene. I wade my way through hordes of white wearing people with my itty bitty cart (what is the deal with those tiny carts?!), and have to apologize like five times for blocking someone’s way.

But, tonight. Ah, tonight. Dome time on Maharishi’s birthday. Paradise, a gift from the Maharishi. It was so dead that I could pretend it was midnight. And the music. It was like my own personal Karaoke! And those kids working don’t care what I am doing or how long I take. I celebrated by taking 20 minutes to browse the cosmetic products. While singing, “I want Candy” I picked out some foot creme.